Have You Had a Colonoscopy Yet?

Members of RPCI's colorectal cancer team wore blue on Friday, March 6 in honor of the patients they treat and to celebrate national Dress in Blue Day, which is coordinated by the Colon Cancer Alliance each year on the first Friday in March.

Upon hearing this question, your answer likely falls into one of the following categories:

a) Yep! I’ve been screened and I’m not due again for another x-years.

b) Uh oh. I’ve been meaning to make that appointment for some time now.

c) Age 50 is years away. Don’t need to think about it at all.

If your answer is A, congratulations, you can help spread the word to the others, who need to keep reading.

If your answer is B, make the call today to schedule your colonoscopy. Colorectal cancer remains the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the United States, a sobering statistic when you consider that survival for early stage colorectal cancer is about 90%. The gold standard of colorectal screening, colonoscopy, detects – and removes – early-stage cancers and overgrowths of tissue called polyps that can potentially become cancer. Removing the polyps effectively prevents future cancer.

If your answer is C, here’s your gut check: colorectal cancer is on the rise among people younger than 50. It’s not a matter of if you should be screened; it’s a matter of when, and that will depend on whether you have any risk factors associated with colorectal cancer. Talk to your physician about screening earlier than age 50 if you have any of the following factors:

African American ethnicity

Family history of colorectal cancer (Having a parent, sibling or child with colorectal cancer more than doubles your risk.)

Personal history of cancer, particularly of the ovary, uterus, breast or colon

Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease

Lifestyle factors - that you can change - are also associated with colorectal cancer. These include smoking, a lack of exercise, obesity and eating a diet that’s high in red meat and fat and low in fruits, vegetables, calcium, folate and fiber.